The present invention is directed to a connector assembly and more specifically to a connector assembly for connecting a plurality of battery cells in a battery pack.
Rechargeable cylindrical battery cells have been widely employed as a power source for various portable apparatus. These battery cells have included nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride cells. In a typical battery pack, a plurality of battery cells are retained in an end-to-end configuration to form a battery stick. Some battery packs include multiple battery sticks connected in a serial/parallel manner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,392 entitled "CYLINDRICAL CELL, A CELL PACK, AND A CELL HOLDER," discloses a terminal made of an electrically conductive material that included a face portion having either a female threaded hole or a male threaded protrusion. The terminal included legs, which were welded to an end of a battery cell. A conductive connecting member was then utilized to connect multiple cells in a serial/parallel arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,332 entitled "CONNECTION STRUCTURE FOR JOINING BATTERIES," discloses a connector for connecting battery cells of a battery pack in series. The connector was welded to a face (positive terminal) of one battery cell and welded to the side (negative terminal) of a second battery cell. In this manner, two battery cells were coupled in series. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,332 also discloses a connector with a slit in a side wall of the connector. The slit functioned to provide an elastic force to a side of the cylindrical battery cell when the cell engaged the connector. The disclosed connector also included a plurality of first projections on a second flat portion of the connector and a plurality of second projections located on an inside surface of a side wall of the connector.